Posted: 20 March 2006
Minor changes to dam, bore rules
Northlanders wanting to dam a river or drill a new bore will need resource consent under proposed minor changes to the way the region’s freshwater supplies are managed.
Treena Davidson, Water and Soil Planning Team Leader for the Northland Regional Council, says the proposed changes are designed to ensure Northland has enough good quality water to meet both its current and future needs.
Ms Davidson says provisions of the Resource Management Act mean the proposed changes to the Regional Water and Soil Plan (RWSP) take effect and remain in place until a public Plan Change process now underway is complete.
“Although the proposed new provisions of the ‘Regional Water and Soil Plan: Proposed Plan Change 1’ have taken effect, these changes are by no means finalised. The public has until 28 April to make submissions and these must be taken into account and could result in further changes.”
In order to reach as many potentially affected people as possible, the Council will over the next fortnight send out more than 20,000 copies of a brief summary of the intended changes to every home in rural Northland.
Ms Davidson says the proposed changes are designed to ensure the RWSP better reflects the day-to-day uses of the region’s water resources and is easier to read and understand.
“The proposed changes should also allow Northlanders to better meet their social, cultural and economic needs without compromising the ecological values of our rivers, lakes and other freshwater resources.”
Ms Davidson says those potentially affected by the changes include people who:
- Take, dam or divert water from a river, stream, creek or lake
- Have a bore - or a dam or any other structure in a river, stream, creek or lake - on their property
- Are considering installing hydro-electrical generators
She says free copies of ‘Regional Water and Soil Plan: Proposed Plan Change 1’ and an accompanying cost/benefit analysis are available from all Regional Council offices, libraries, by calling the Council on freephone (0800) 002 004 or by visiting Council’s website www.nrc.govt.nz
“Anyone with queries – or who has not received a copy of our summary in the mail by the end of the first week of April - is also welcome to contact the Water and Soil Planning Team on (0800) 002 004.”